Game apparatus



J. OLEATON.

"GQ/ME. APPARATUS. FILED MAR. 22. 1921. 2 SHEETS-SHEET ll Feb. 6, 1923, 1,444,674.

WITNESSES J INVENTOR- mZYdE/A;

A TTORNEYS Feb. 6, 1923. 1,444,674.

J. 0. EATON. GAME APPARATUS. v v FILED MAR. 22 l92l- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

24 I v WITNESSES IN VE/V 70/? V BYIJOHN O. EqTON I 6!: 2 6/4;

' l1 TTORAIEYS JOHN 0. EATON, OF TAUNTON, MASSAGHUSETTS.

GAME APPARATUS.

Application filed March 22, 1921. Serial No. 454,525.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN O. EATON,- a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Taunton, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Game Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a game apparatus and has for an object to provide an improved construction, wherein means are provided which presents a pleasing game of skill.

Another object in view is to provide a game apparatus in which a simple but pleasing arrangement of different means are provided for supporting miniature values, as bowling pins, together with means for permitting easy projection of the ball against the pins.

A further object of the invention is to provide a toy game in which a vertically dropped ball is used either with a bowling alley, pool table or other device, the entire arrangement being formed so that a minimum space is required while a simulation of a full size apparatus is presented.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side view of an apparatus disclosing an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is an end view of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view through Fig ure 2 approximately on line 33.

Figure 4: is a sectional view through Figure 1 on line 4- 1.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of a pool table showing a modified form of the invention.

Figure 7 is a section through Figure 6 on line 7 -7.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numeral, 1 indicates a base which base is provided with side walls 2 and 3 and end walls 4: and 5. These walls may be of any desired construction but preferably the side walls 2 and 3 are provided with panels 6 of wire mesh so that a person may watch the ten-pins or other devices without looking over the top of the various walls.

As indicated in Figures 3 and 5, the top of the casing is open except for the part covered by the board or plate 7, which acts as a support for the pipe or tube 20 hereinafter fully described. As indicated in Figure 3, the covering board 7 with the surrounding members forms a chamber 8, which chamber is divided from the remaining part of the casing by a partition formed of the movable boards 9 and 10 and the stationary or fixed boards 9 and 10. It will be noted that the board 10 is provided with an upstanding lip against which the bottom edge of the boards 9 and 10 rest with the buttons 12 for holding the boards 9 and 10 in place. Similar buttons 11 are arranged in the board 9 for holding the upper part ofthe partition boards 9 and 10. It will be noted that a lip is also provided on board 9 so that the boards 9 and 10 have an ample support when in, position but are capable of easy and quick removal. The boards-9 and 10 are notched for forming an opening 13 through which the balls 14 are projected after striking the resilient projector 15, which projector may be of hard rubber or may be hollow. In fact, this projector may be shaped in many different ways and formed of different material, as for instance, it may be formed from solid or hollow rubber and formed either as a ball or as a cone. The only requisite is to have a projector which will cause the balls 1d to bounce through the opening 13 and be projected toward the values as pins 16 on a board or alley 17. In order that the. halls falling from above will not all strike the same spot on the projector 15, said projector is glued or otherwiserigidly secured to a seat 22 of metal or other material, which seat is rotatably mounted in the base 1 and held in place by a suitable bolt having a wing nut 23. The nut 23 may be loosened and the projector 15 turned from time to time so that different parts of the projector may be used and, consequently, a' more or less even wear presented to the entire operative surface thereof.

' The ball 14, falling through the tube 20 as hereinafter fully described, will strike at a point on the projector 15 and be projected through the opening 13 if properly aimed. Also, if the ball is properly aimed it will cause any one or all of the values as pins 16 to be knocked over. It will be noted from Figure 3 that the board or alley 17 is provided with a pair of apertures for receiving the pins 18 and 19 which hold the alley in operative position so that the pins will be locked at a proper position opposite the opening 13.

The tube 20 is arranged eccentrically over the projector 15 as indicated in Figure 5 so that the ball it will always strike on the side of the projector which will cause the ball to be projected toward the opening 13. The pipe 20 merely acts as a support for a ring or head 21 and does not in any way engage or guide the ball 14, which ball is moved under the action of gravity. In order that the various players may have equal chance, the ring 21 is supported by the tube 20 at the desired distance and the player places his hand upon the rounded section 28 of the ring 21 and drops the ball so as to fall on any desired part of the projector 15 which he may select and which is in the range of the ball. In order to assist the player in making a selection, a number of graduations or marks 29 are provided on the ring opposite thepoint Where his hand is placed. In case the player should drop the ball either too far to the right or left, the ball would strike the projector 15 but would not project through the opening 13. In a case of this kind, the ball would be merely projected against one of the parti-- tion boards 9 and 10 and would then fall back into compartment 8 from which it could be removed and again played. The opening 13 is made suficiently wide to allow the ball to be projected to any part of the alley 17, and in fact to be projected to either side of said alley but not projected sufiiciently to one side to strike either of the side walls. It the opening 13 was formed wider the ball might be projected against certain of the screens and bounce back onto the alley and thereby knock over certain of the pins which would naturally be a foul. To: prevent this the opening 13 is restricted.

In some instances, it might not be desirable to bowl and when this is the case the alley 17 is removed and a board or table 24!: is substituted. This board or table is provided with an annular flange 25 and a num ber of values as pockets 26. Suitable apertures 27 are provided in the bottom of this table so that the table may properly fit over pins 18 and 19. Various rules may be used in playing and, of course, any desired number of balls may be utilized. Other devices could be used without departing from the spirit of the invention besides the bowling alley and the board or table 2%.

What I claim is 1. In a game apparatus a game board in line with said board adapted to deflect over said board a ball dropped thereon, a locating member arranged above said projecting member for directing the player to properly locate the ball so as strike the projecting member in such a manner as to cause a ball to be projected onto certain of said arbitrary values, said locating member being formed with a plurality of indications thereon for assisting the player in locating the ball before dropping the same on said projector.

3. In a game apparatus a game board having a plurality of arbitrary values arranged thereon, an annular flange for said board, a resilient projector, means for clamping said projector in place, said means being capable of adjustment to permit the projector to be shifted, a ring having graduations thereon for locating a desired point on the projector arranged above and eccentric in respect to the projector and a playing memberarranged above said projector for locating the body to be dropped on said projector, said ring having a plurality of marks on the surface thereof to enable the player to locate a desired point on said projector.

JOHN 0. EATON. 

